Evaluation of the influence of the use of recycled fine aggregate in stabilised mortars

Abstract The use of recycled aggregate in the production of concrete and mortars has shown to be a sustainable way to reduce the volume of construction waste. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the influence of the substitution of natural fine aggregate by recycled fine aggregate on the properties of stabilised mortars. To this end, four stabilised mortars: one with natural aggregate (sand washed from the river bed) and three other mortars with 25%, 50% and 100% levels of substitution of natural fine aggregate were recycled. The evaluation of stabilised mortars was performed in the fresh state (specific mass, consistency index, cone penetration) and in the hardened state (hardened density, flexural and compressive strength, water absorption by capillarity and dynamic modulus of elasticity). These tests showed a similar behaviour, in the fresh state, between the mortar with natural aggregate and the mortars with recycled aggregate. In the hardened state, there was a reduction in the mechanical properties and an increase in the water absorption of the mortars with a higher level of substitution of the natural fine aggregate by the recycled fine aggregate.